Amaro Rodríguez-Felipe y Tejera Machado (3 May 16784 October 1747), also known as Amaro Pargo, was a Spanish privateer and slave trader. He was one of the most well-known Spanish privateers during the Golden Age of Piracy. Pargo was noted for his commercial activities and for his frequent religious donations and aid to the poor. In his role as a privateer, he targeted trade routes between Cádiz and the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

, on several occasions attacking British and Dutch merchant ships, earning recognition in his time as a

hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...

and coming to be regarded as "the Spanish equivalent of Francis Drake". He was declared a Caballero hidalgo in 1725 and obtained certification of nobility and royal arms in 1727.

Nickname

For years there has been speculation as to the reason behind Rodríguez Felipe's nickname of ''Pargo''. Traditionally, it has been believed that this pseudonym means that the raider was "fast", "elusive in battle" and "moving in the sea as the aforementioned fish", the red porgy (also called ''Pargo''). More recent theories rooted in popular tradition have also attributed the nickname to the facial features of a corsair. More recently, other theories have emerged; Professor Manuel de Paz at the University of La Laguna, and researcher & librarian Daniel García Pulido view Rodríguez Felipe's nickname as not having to do with his face resembling a fish, but with the nickname of his family's clan.

Biography

Early life

Rodríguez Felipe was born in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, on the island of

Tenerife Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...

(

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) on 3May 1678. He was baptized by the priest Manuel Hurtado Mendoza in the ''Iglesia de Los Remedios'' (Church of Our Lady of Los Remedios, today a cathedral in the city). His godfather was Amaro López. He was the son of Juan Rodríguez Felipe and Beatriz Tejera Machado. He had seven brothers. Three of his sisters entered the Convent of Santa Catalina de Siena in the city. His family was affluent, possessing property both in and around the city. Amaro lived with his family in the Plaza de San Cristóbal in La Laguna (also called "''Plaza Tanque de Abajo''"). The family had several possessions and houses, most of them located close to the political, economic, and religious center of the city, around the current Plaza del Adelantado (then called "''Plaza de Abajo''"). In 1701 he boarded as second lieutenant on a ship, the ''Ave María'', nicknamed ''La Chata'' (The Barge), which was boarded by pirates. This ship was a galley of the

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then on the route between the Caribbean and Cadiz. He advised the captain to feign surrender in order to start a battle from which they emerged victorious. In gratitude, the captain gave Amaro his first ship. With it he began his business activities, including participation in the

Atlantic slave trade The Atlantic slave trade or transatlantic slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of Slavery in Africa, enslaved African people to the Americas. European slave ships regularly used the triangular trade route and its Middle Pass ...

in Spanish America. For this, Amaro Pargo obtained a letter of marque from King Philip V of Spain.

Trader and privateer

Amaro Pargo's participation in the Spanish treasure fleet had to have started between 1703 and 1705, and at this time he is mentioned as "captain" and "master" of the frigate ''Ave María y Las Ánimas''. He is mentioned sailing between the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. Later in 1737 he is mentioned as the owner of ''El Mercader de Canarias'', captained by John Plunket, and as sharing ownership with another merchant vessel of La Laguna, ''Don Pedro Dujardin''. He conducted his affairs with a well-maintained fleet and also with many residences. Amaro Pargo led his own ships to America laden with wine from Malvasía (which were from his own harvests) and brandy (also his), which he sold in

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

. On the way, he attacked all ships belonging to nations at war with Spain, most of whom were British and Dutch, making off with booty which he later brought back to

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. Pargo also fought against some of the best known pirates of his day, including Blackbeard. He also traded in other products such as various textiles and even nuts. These products were brought from the Canary Islands to the Indies. In 1712, Pargo captured the British-flagged merchant ship ''Saint Joseph'', which operated out of

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, Ireland and was commanded by Captain Alexander Westher. Pargo was later accused of not having acted with rigor at the time of exercising his rights as a privateer. This was because Pargo looted the ship's cargo and forced Westher to sail with Pargo's ship to the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife on pain of sinking ''Saint Joseph'' if Westher refused to do so. Nevertheless, the capture of ''Saint Joseph'' was considered legitimate because Britain was at war with Spain. The Spanish monarch Felipe V, in a Royal Decree dated in San Lorenzo de El Escorial on 24 October 1719, authorized Amaro Pargo to build a ship in Campeche. This ship was a merchant armed with 58 guns and 64 cubits long and 56 keel, with more than 16 manga. According to current studies, said ship became part of the Navy in 1723, but just a year before it had captured and looted the Dutch merchant ship ''Duyvelant'', when it was believed to have been captained by Pargo. This systematic looting of enemy ships sometimes escalated into battle; it is documented that once Amaro Pargo boarded a great ship from

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

, triggering a clash between the privateer Snapper and the captain of the ship with sabers and pistols and which ended with the captain seriously wounded and Pargo with only a cut on his fingers. He also fought against Barbary pirates in waters off the Canary Islands. Pargo became romantically involved with the Cuban Josefa María del Valdespino, with whom he had an illegitimate son, but did not marry. This son was named Manuel de la Trinidad Rodríguez. Another illegitimate son was Juan Rodríguez Felipe born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and who would be buried in the parish of St. Mark in Tegueste. Juan Rodríguez's mother was a married woman who had known Amaro's family since childhood, according to the documents of the time. This offspring would, however, be raised by the mother of Amaro Pargo, Mrs. Beatriz Tejera. Amaro Pargo founded a chaplaincy for the needy and allocated 3,000 reales for the poor in the prisons. Pargo eventually came to be the richest man of the Canary Islands. He was a character who in his day had the same reputation and popularity as that of Blackbeard and Francis Drake.

Access to the nobility

On 25 January 1725 Amaro Pargo was declared Caballero hijodalgo. In addition, Pargo obtained the actual certification of Nobility and Arms also given in

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on 9January 1727, by Juan Antonio de Hoces Sarmiento, who was chronicler and king of arms of Felipe V of Spain.

Friendship with Sister Mary of Jesus

Because of his fervent

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beliefs, Amaro made large donations to churches, religious institutions, and the ''Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios'' (''Parish Church of Our Lady of Los Remedios''), now the ''Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Laguna'' ( La Laguna Cathedral). He developed a deep friendship with nun Sister Mary of Jesus, who gave the privateer spiritual advice. After her 1731 death, Amaro paid for the extravagant sarcophagus in which the uncorrupted mystic now rests. Amaro's initials inscribed in the sarcophagus. The privateer attributed many of his exploits to the miraculous intervention of the nun, including an episode in which the nun saved his life in

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

, without her body leaving the convent, that is, by the phenomenon of bilocation. Those searching for romance have over the centuries wanted to see deeper meaning in the friendship between the privateer and the nun 25 years older than him. Balbina Rivero, author of ''Amaro Pargo, el pirata de Tenerife'', suggests that interpretation in his book. Others reject it, including the author of ''El Sarcófago de las tres llaves'', Pompeyo Reina Moreno, saying their friendship was based on devotional reasons.

Death and inheritance

Amaro died 4 October 1747 in his hometown. According to chronicles, his funeral was "very solemn" and the funeral procession transferring his body to his burial site made eight stops on the street, slowed down by the crowd that accompanied the procession. He was buried in the family tomb in the '' Santo Domingo de Guzmán Convent'' in LaLaguna. The family shield is engraved in the marble headstone, and under it a skull with two crossbones winks his right eye. His estate at his death was substantial, and his natural son Manuel de la Trinidad Rodríguez appeared in LaLaguna demanding his part, but the rest of his heirs rejected his claims.

Treasure of Amaro Pargo

Pargo wrote in his will that he had a box that he kept in his cabin. This carved chest contained

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

jewelry, pearls and precious stones of great value, chinese porcelain, rich fabrics and

painting Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

s, adding that they were itemised in a book wrapped in

parchment Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared Tanning (leather), untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves and goats. It has been used as a writing medium in West Asia and Europe for more than two millennia. By AD 400 ...

and marked with the letter "''D''". The whereabouts of this book is unknown. In the centuries since, people have speculated as to the whereabouts of the treasure. The house of Amaro Pargo in ''Machado'' (in the municipality of El Rosario) was sacked over the years by treasure hunters. It has also been suggested that the treasure is in the so-called Cave of San Mateo in Punta del Hidalgo northeast of Tenerife, a cave that served to hide their loot. Despite all these efforts, this treasure has not yet been located.

Exhumation

In November 2013, an exhumation was carried out by a team of archaeologists and forensic scientists from the Autonomous University of Madrid, to carry out a study on the pirate, including DNA tests and the recreation of his face. According to historic records, Pargo was buried alongside his parents and a black servant. The tomb was found, however, to also contain six more people, as well as some incomplete remains of babies. It is believed that some of these people were nephews or great nephews of Amaro Pargo, while the babies were found to not be related to the privateer. They may have been buried together with Pargo due to a custom all over

and the Canary islands to bury unbaptized children next to an adult, in the belief that the adult would guide them to Heaven. The exhumation was funded by the French video game company

Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Anno'', '' Assassin's Creed'', ' ...

, to promote the sixth installment of their '' Assassin's Creed '' video game series, '' Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'' and Naughty Dog's popular gaming franchise '' Uncharted''. According to a supervisor of the company, Pargo was "a character who in his time had the same reputation and popularity as Blackbeard or Francis Drake".

In popular culture

Literature

Pargo's mercantile and piratical activities have attracted the interest of several novelists and historians. ''El corsario Amaro Pargo'' by Domingo Barbuzano is noted for its historical accuracy, as Barbuzano spent five years to investigating Pargo in historical archives of the Indies in

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, where all documentation of travel between

and America was kept. Amaro Pargo was a main character in Alexander De Chastelaine's novel ''Black Sam'', where the benevolent privateer Pargo offered Samuel Bellamy and his pirate crew refuge at his home shores on the Canary Islands. Among the novels inspired by him are ''Amaro Pargo, el pirata de Tenerife'' by Balbina Rivero, and ''El Sarcófago de las Tres Llaves'' by Pompeyo Reina, and the

Argentine Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...

writer Ernesto Frers makes reference to Amaro Pargo in his work ''Más allá del legado pirata''.

Film and television

In 1989, Televisión Española en Canarias broadcast a television series called ''La historia en persona''. This series consisted of thirteen episodes, one of which was dedicated to the figure of Amaro Pargo. More recently in 2017, the first documentary film that analyzes different vital aspects of this historical character was filmed, which is entitled '' Amaro Pargo: entre la leyenda y la historia''. This documentary was broadcast directly on television in August 2017 through Televisión Canaria. In 2023, the American television series '' Expedition Unknown'' dedicated a chapter to the figure of Amaro Pargo with the title "Riches of Spain's Pirate King".

Music and theater

The musical group ''Rincón de La Mareta'' dedicated a song to Pargo in 2016. In it, composed by Raquel Álvarez, the story of Amaro Pargo, his fortune and his passage through

is narrated. In the theatrical play ''La Conquista más pirata'' of Timaginas Teatro, Amaro Pargo shares the limelight with Rear Admiral Horacio Nelson, the Catholic Monarchs and Alonso Fernández de Lugo. In the year 2022, in the month of May, coinciding with Amaro's birth anniversary, an album dedicated entirely to his figure called ''El Corsario de Aguere'' is released, under the direction and musical production of Raquel Álvarez.

Others

In 2017, the ''Ruta Gastronómica de Amaro Pargo'' was presented in the city of La Laguna, a gastronomic route set in 18th-century cuisine and inspired by the figure of Pargo. The City Council of San Cristóbal de La Laguna launched in 2021 an interactive video game entitled ''El tesoro de Amaro Pargo'', which allows you to discover the main historical-artistic values of this city, declared a

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in 1999.

Citations

Bibliography

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External links

El corsario Amaro Pargo

La evolución de una fortuna indiana: D. Amaro Rodríguez Felipe (Amaro Pargo)

El corsario de Dios. Documentos sobre el corsario Amaro Rodríguez Felipe (1678–1747)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez Felipe, Amaro People from San Cristóbal de La Laguna 1678 births 1747 deaths Spanish privateers Spanish military personnel of the War of the Spanish Succession Spanish slave traders Maritime folklore